Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I welcome the witnesses. On corporation tax, everybody knows that the largest company, which will announce its results at the end of June, is Microsoft, which is probably what Mr. Coffey was indicating. It is suggested that it must have had an additional €3 billion in sales and output in Ireland to generate the additional corporation tax that the figures indicate. Are the witnesses satisfied that the mechanisms for measuring our output? Will they have enormous implications for the payments we have to make to Brussels in respect of the recognised growth in the size of the economy? How will we deal with that?

The witnesses referenced the demographic pressures, which are evident throughout the country, particularly in the eastern region and all the major cities. Are they happy that the models they are using from Europe give sufficient recognition to the demographic pressures and the associated expenditure, both capital and current, that they require? We have a young population, a large population of children, and also an older population. This has significant implications for housing, education and healthcare for older and younger people.

How are the witnesses modelling the economy in Ireland? Does it capture the full extent of what is happening? Do European rules permit any acknowledgement of the particular set of circumstances at play in Ireland?